Aanchal Narang
MY PHILOSOPHY OR BELIEF ABOUT THERAPY - It's like a TATTOO or Exercise! It hurts while you’re going through it and then its beautiful and fun.
ONE KEY LEARNING OR INSIGHT FROM MY EXPERIENCE AS A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
It's not about the symptom; there is always a cause.
A Fun Fact about me: I can bark as a dog and a puppy🐶
My heartfelt whisper of support for you: Hey there! I know therapy can be overwhelming.
But it will be fun; not boring at all!
Hobbies and Interests - Scuba diving, Debates, MMA, martial arts , driving , singing, salsa gaming on Playstation
Educational Background:
- Master’s in Applied (Clinical) - Psychology: TISS
- EMDR Therapy (Level 01 & 02): EMDR Association India
- Queer Mental Health & Polyamory: SAMHI and Clementine Morrigan
- Suicide Prevention: City & Guilds
- Advanced Trauma Therapy: Janina Fisher (NICABM)
- Somatic Trauma Strategies: Dr. Peter Levine & Dr. Diane Poole Heller
- Compassionate Inquiry: Gabor Mate
- Somatic EMDR Therapy: Arielle Schwartz
- The Complexities of Complex
- Trauma Level 1: International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD)
- Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy: Shalini Anant
- REBT & CBT: Dr. Minnu Bhosle and Swati Kandolkar
Full Biography
Aanchal is the founder of Another Light Counselling. They hold a Masters in Applied psychology (Clinical) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai with additional certifications from institutions like the National Institute for Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine, Bombay Psychological Association, Safe Spaces (Accredited by City & Guilds of London), PESI, EMDR Association India to name a few. They have further trained with and certified under experts and veterans of the field like Swati Khanolkar, Dr. Minnu Bhonsle, Dr. Gabor Mate, Tara Brach (PhD), Janina Fisher, Dr. Diane Poole Heller & Dr. Peter Levine among others.
They work with a trauma-informed and queer affirmative approach and specialise working with childhood trauma, complex-trauma, survivors of CSA and dissociation. They have experience in working with perpetrators of abuse with a reformative justice lens. They have had over 450 clients and 6000 hours of psychotherapeutic work.
An activist, philanthropist, trainer and educator, over the span of their career, Aanchal has trained over 5000 people on Gender, Sexuality, Leadership, Communication, Corporate Wellness, Violence & Discrimination including healthcare & mental health professionals, NGOs, Government organisations and students. They have co-created learning & training modules and formulated courses along with mental health organisations and NGOs.
An associate member of the Indian Academy of Professional Supervisors and a member of the International Society for the Study of Trauma & Dissociation and an external consultant with the UNHCR, Aanchal has trained and held workshops at premier institutes of India including their alma mater Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai University, Whistling Woods International, KC College Mumbai, Wilson’s College Mumbai and many more. Cracking ways to educate people and spread awareness through subliminal tactics is their favourite challenge. They know how to apply and utilise their skill sets in varied settings.
Having partnered with multiple organisations, NGOs and collectives like NHRDN, ChtrBox, CEHAT, Urja Trust, DoctorsForACause, Mumbai Police, The Plane Jar, Light Up, Survivors against TB, Medical Student’s Association of India, iCall, they have worked extensively in the social sector to build awareness and capabilities for issues related to gender, sexuality, violence, discrimination and rehabilitation. As a personal project in 2020, Aanchal raised close to 11000 USD (almost 8 Lakhs INR) for Sex Workers & Homeless Women suffering due to the pandemic.